Cavico Corporation subsidiary, Cavico Bridge and Tunnel, has completely broken through the final section of tunnel at the A Luoi hydropower project, which at 8.7 miles long and 21.3ft wide is considered the longest and most sophisticated tunnel to be constructed in Vietnam.
In July 2007, Cavico was awarded a contract to excavate the headrace tunnel as well as four sub-tunnels, a surge tank, a vertical shaft, and a service access road. The Company broke through the first and second sub-tunnels in August and December 2010, respectively. Final breakthrough was achieved on 28 April.
Cavico employed the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) and blasting method to excavate the main and sub-tunnels. The Company will continue its tunnel concrete lining work at the project. Cavico expects the A Luoi project to generate $53M in total revenues for the Company.
The 170MW A Luoi Hydropower plant is being built on the A Sap River, l in Thua Thien Hue Province, central Vietnam. The plant is owned by the Central Hydropower Joint Stock Co.
“We are very pleased to complete the tunnel construction at the A Luoi Hydropower project,” commented Hung Manh Tran, executive vice president of Cavico. “This achievement is the result of many months of dedication and hard work by Cavico’s employees. Additionally, this breakthrough represents a major step toward completing our role in the A Luoi project and collecting the remaining balance of the contract revenue. We expect the plant will begin operations in the near future, contributing power to Vietnam’s national grid.”